Mechanical toy



Nov. 6,1945. G, M. HESS 2,388,483

MECHANICAL TOY Filed July 12, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G8 .MHQ 6'8 INVENTOR.

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Nov. 6, 1945. -G HE S 2,388,483

MECHANICAL TOY Filed July 12, 1944 2 SheetS Sheet l a M [Z980 INVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT F FIC E MECHANICAL roy GeorgeM. Hess, Altoonm, Pa. Application July 12, 1944, Serial No. 544,535 2 claims. (cite-4st This invention relates to mechanical toys or amusement devices, the primary object of the invention. being to provide a device of this character including a spirally formed tilting track over which a spherical object, car or other wheeled toy may move, means being provided for tilting and rotating the track at predetermined intervals, whereby the movable object operating over the track is automatically fed to the topof the track, where it gravitates to the lowerend of the track when the track is returned to a vertical position, thereby providing a device which is not only mystifying, but is exceptionallyamusing and fascinating to the observer.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating the tiltable track in its vertical position, a spherical object being shown as gravitating to the bottom of the track,

Figure 2 is an elevational view illustrating the track in its tilted position and being rotated to feed the ball or spherical object to the top of the track.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the gear Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 designates the base or support for the toy, which is in the form of a housing in which the motor and gearing which is used for rotating the track, are mounted.

The reference character 6 designates an electric motor, which is supplied with electric energy through wires 1 which are connected to the plug 8 which may be plugged into the usual house current.

Gearing mounted within the gear box 9 is operated by the shaft of the motor 6, the gearing being constructed to rotate the cam l0, mounted on the shaft II that extends into the gear housing. A shaft indicated at I2 is also operated by the gearing within the gear box, and this shaft l2 constitutes the drive shaft of the mechanism which operates to drive the track shaft l3, through the pinions l4 and IS, the pinion M being mounted on shaft l2, while the pinion I5, is secured to the lower endof the shaft l3. I

Pivotally mounted on the gear box, is an arm IS that extendsupwardly from its pivot point, the arm being supplied with a roller l1 at its upper endthat constantly engages the cam ID, as clearly shownby the drawings. Connectedwith the arm i6 is a link l8 which also connects with the bearing H) which in turn is pivotally mounted within the gear housing, by means of the shaft 20, the connection between the bearing [9 and shaft 20; being offset with respect to a line drawn vertically through, they center of the bearing l9. Due to this construction, it will be obvious that the. nat ural tendency of the shaft I3 will be to tilt laterally, from its vertical position, to the inclined position as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, the link l8 bearing against the arm Hi to hold the roller l1 into engagement with the cam ID. The cam Ill is so constructed and arranged that at predetermined intervals, the enlarged portion thereof will contact with the roller 11 with the result that the shaft I3 is moved from its inclined position shown by Fig. 2, to its vertical position as shown by Fig. 1. The length of the surface 2| of the cam I0 is such that the shaft 13 will be held in a substantially vertical position until the object moving over the track supported by the shaft, reaches the bottom of the track. As the cam l0 moves or rotates, the roller I1 is gradually moved from the wide cam edge 2| allowing the weight of the shaft l3 to tilt the shaft gradually.

Mounted on the shaft [3, is a spirally formed track 22 which is secured to the arms 2'! that extend from the sleeve 28 mounted on the shaft, the track being provided with an upstanding flange 23, against which the movable object, which in the present showing is a ball indicated by the reference character A, engages, the flange preventing the ball from moving over the outer edge of the spirally formed track.

Extending inwardly from one end wall of the housing 5, is a bracket 24 which has a block of sponge rubber 25 secured to its free end, against which the collar 26 which is a part of pinion l5, engages, the sponge rubber acting as a brake to retard or prevent rotary movement of the shaft I3, and at the same time provide a stop against which the collar 26 engages to hold the shaft in its vertical position.

The gearin for operating the toy, includes pinion 29 mounted on the inner end of the motor shaft 30, the pinion 29 being in mesh with the gear 3| mounted on shaft 32. Pinion 33 is also mounted on shaft 32 and meshes with the large gear 34 to which the gear 35 is connected. This gear 35 is in mesh with the gear 36, carried at the inner end of the shaft 12. The gear 35 is mounted on the shaft 31 on which the worm gear 38 is also mounted. The worm ear 38 meshes with the gear 39 which is secured to shaft ll, rotating the shaft l I and cam l secured thereto. Due to this gearing, it will be obvious that the speed of the motor shaft v, ll isreduced to insure the proper operation of the toy.

In the operation of the device, the plu 8 is plugged into a wall socket, and the motor is set in motion, which in turn operates the gearing in the gear box 9. The cam I0 is rotated, which in turn operates the arm [6 to move the upper end thereof outwardly or away from the cam shaft II. In this position, the track shaft His moved to its vertical position, and the movable object which moves over the track 22 willgravi tate to the lower end of the track. I

The cam I0 is so constructed and timed that when the movable object reaches the bottom of the track, the roller I! will be in contact with the small side of the cam and the shaft l3 together with the track, will tilt laterally, whereupon pinion l5 will be in mesh with pinion l4 and the shaft and track will be rotated in a direction to feed the movable object to the upper end of the shaft. By the time'the movable ob- I ject reaches the upper end of the shaft, and before it begins its descent, the cam will have moved to a position to disengage the pinions l4 and I5. This operation will be repeated indefinitely.

. It will of course be understood that when the bottom of the track, a motor-operated gearing within the base, said gearing including a drive pinion, a pinion secured to the lower end of the pivoted shaft, said shaft adapted to tilt laterally moving the pinion carried thereby into mesh j with the drive pinion, whereby the shaft and track are rotated feeding the object movable over the track, to the upper end of the track, and means for periodically moving the shaft to its vertical position disengaging the pinions, and a brake for stopping rotation of the shaft and track when the shaft is moved to a vertical position.

2. A mechanical toy comprising a base, a tiltable shaft supportedby the base, a spiral track on the shaft and over which an object gravitates when the shaft is in a vertical position, means for moving the shaft from a tilted position to an upright position, means for rotating the shaft, and braking means adapted to retard rotary movement of the shaft when the shaft is moved to a vertical position. 7

GEORGE M. HESS. 

